He was in college, but his songs were at the Grammys.

Chapter 41 Who exactly is in the vocal music department?

"So many people?" A girl who had just arrived stared in disbelief at the long queue.

"What do you think?" The classmate next to me was scrolling through his phone. "I heard some people started lining up last night."

"Last night?! Are you crazy?!"

"It's worth it to see Chen Ming."

In the group, someone was live-streaming on their phone.

"Family members, I'm right here at the entrance of Jiangyi School! See the line behind us? They're all here to see Chen Ming! Tune in to my live stream at 2 PM this afternoon for a live coverage!"

Comments floated by:

"Good luck, streamer! Squeeze in!"

"We absolutely have to get a shot of Chen Ming!!"

"Please give my regards to Chen Ming!!"

"Waaaaah, I want to go to the scene too!"

In the center of the playground on campus, a huge stage is undergoing final adjustments.

The stage wasn't glamorous; it couldn't compare to the kind of stage used in concerts or variety shows.

But it's big enough and stable enough, and the lighting and sound systems are the highest quality the school can provide.

Directly in front of the stage was a wide lawn, which had now been fenced off and divided into several sections.

The staff were busy pulling cables, debugging equipment, and arranging chairs.

Several student council members ran back and forth, their foreheads glistening with fine beads of sweat.

"Try the sound system again!"

"Lights! Move the lights a little to the left!"

"Is the live broadcast signal test complete?"

"Alright, alright, Douyin, Bilibili, and Weibo are all synchronized, no problem!"

A boy in a student council uniform stood in front of the stage, looking at the venue gradually taking shape before him, and couldn't help but sigh:

"This is bigger than some small concerts I've ever seen."

The girl next to him nodded: "After all, it's a live broadcast for the whole school, and there are so many outsiders coming."

"How many people do you think will come today?"

The girl thought for a moment and said, "There are just over 10,000 students from our school alone, and if we include those from outside the school, it'll be at least 15,000."

The boy gasped.

Fifteen thousand people.

On this makeshift stage on campus.

……

Backstage.

The players' rest area.

A dozen or so people sat there, each with a different expression.

Some were singing silently with their eyes closed, some were looking down at the lyrics, and some were checking their instruments over and over again.

The air was thick with a tense, almost frozen atmosphere.

Fu Yun, a vocal music major, sat in the corner, holding a thermos in her hand, but did not drink from it.

His gaze fell on the window, on the stage that was gradually taking shape, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

Xia Die, a senior student, sat on the other side, wearing exquisite makeup, but upon closer inspection, one could see that her fingers were trembling slightly.

With her debut imminent, the company has already begun preparing new songs for her.

Logically speaking, a school-wide selection competition shouldn't make her this nervous.

but……

She glanced at the entrance to the rest area.

That spot is currently empty.

But soon, someone will walk in from there.

Xia Die took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Forget it.

she thinks.

Just be yourself.

Just be yourself...

Next to him, the boy who had signed up for the performing arts program kept drinking water, one bottle after another.

A classmate next to him couldn't help but remind him, "You've drunk so much, what will you do if you need to go to the bathroom when you get on stage?"

The boy froze, his water bottle hanging in mid-air.

His expression became even more tense.

In the corner, someone muttered quietly:

"Why hasn't Chen Ming arrived yet?"

No one answered.

But everyone is waiting.

Waiting for that person to appear.

Waiting for that name to become a face.

Waiting for that face to stand on that stage.

The performances of magic and Peking Opera were absolutely superb.

They still feel considerable pressure.

She was afraid that if she didn't perform well, outsiders would say that Jiangyi was not as good as magic or Peking Opera.

……

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard at the back entrance.

Everyone instinctively looked up.

A boy wearing a white shirt walked in.

With his schoolbag on his back, he walked at a steady pace, his face calm.

Chen Ming.

The moment he walked in, the entire rest area seemed to fall silent for a second.

It wasn't a deliberate silence; rather, everyone's gaze was involuntarily drawn to him.

Fu Yun tightened her grip on the thermos.

Xia Die opened her eyes.

The boy who was drinking water finally put down his water bottle.

Chen Ming seemed oblivious to the stares he was receiving. He simply nodded to the crowd and then found an empty seat to sit down.

He took a book out of his bag, opened it, and began to read quietly.

He plans to further improve his literary skills.

Let's see if he can get other literary works after "Battle Through the Heavens".

Sunlight streamed in through the window and fell on his profile.

The scene was as quiet as a painting.

In the rest area, the tense, almost frozen atmosphere suddenly eased a little.

It wasn't because Chen Ming did anything.

It's because he was too calm.

He was as calm as if he were reading a book at home.

That composure inexplicably infected those around him.

like……

I don't seem so nervous anymore?

Fu Yun suddenly smiled, shook his head, and looked out the window again.

Xia Die closed her eyes, and this time, her fingers did not tremble.

The boy who was drinking water finally put the water bottle aside.

With Chen Ming around.

They seem to have no need to worry about Jiang Yi being outshone by Magic Art and Peking Opera.

They just need to compete well to earn a spot.

In contrast to this kind of thing.

Just leave it to Chen Ming!

......

The competition has officially begun.

The first contestant was a second-year male student from the vocal music department, who chose a pop song.

The sound quality is good, with a stable midrange, but the high notes sound a bit strained, clearly indicating nervousness.

When he finished singing and left the stage, his face was a little pale.

Chen Ming sat in the corner of the rest area, still reading the book, only occasionally raising his eyes to look towards the stage through the window.

The second, the third, the fourth...

The contestants entered and exited the arena one after another.

Some sang well, some were obviously nervous and made mistakes, and some had tears in their eyes the moment they stepped off the stage.

The atmosphere in the rest area was like a wave, sometimes high and sometimes low.

Until a name was called out.

"Next up, Fu Yun from Class 1, 2022, Vocal Music Department."

In the rest area, everyone's eyes turned to the corner.

Fu Yun stood up, took a deep breath, and placed the thermos in her hand on the chair.

He didn't look at anyone, just kept his head down and strode towards the stage entrance.

Chen Ming raised his eyes and glanced at his back.

Fu Yun took the stage.

The intro begins with a classic, highly challenging piece.

The moment the first high note burst from his mouth, the entire playground fell silent for a second.

The voice was so steady.

It was as steady as if it were in a recording studio.

The live chat exploded instantly:

"Holy crap!!!! That high note!"

"Jiang Yi also has a contestant of this caliber?!"

"I take back what I just said. Jiang Yi is just as good as Magic Art!"

"What's this guy's name? Fu Yun? Remember that, remember that!"

"Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!!!"

After finishing the song, Fu Yun breathed slightly and bowed to the audience.

Thunderous applause erupted.

As he stepped off the stage, his expression was calm, but upon closer inspection, one could see that his fingertips were trembling slightly.

It's not nervousness.

It was excitement.

He did it.

Back in the rest area, Fu Yun didn't sit down immediately, but subconsciously glanced at that corner.

Chen Ming closed the book, looked up, and met his gaze.

Then, Chen Ming nodded slightly.

It's very light.

But Fu Yun understood.

This is approval!!

He gave a very faint smile and sat back down in his seat.

Next, several more contestants took the stage.

Their performances varied, but their overall level was quite good.

until.

"Next up, Xia Die, Vocal Music Department, Class of 19."

The rest area fell silent again.

Xia Die stood up.

She wore a simple beige dress today, with her hair loosely tied back, making her look gentle and serene.

But only she knows how fast her heart is beating.

She took a deep breath and walked toward the stage.

The sunlight was a bit dazzling the moment I stepped onto the stage.

Xia Die narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at the dense crowd below the stage.

Ten thousand people.

Perhaps more.

Everyone was watching her.

She gripped the microphone tightly and closed her eyes.

The prelude begins.

The song she chose was a folk-style piece called "Letter in the Wind".

Lin Wei's song.

The melody is soothing and the emotions are delicate, which suits her voice very well.

She sang the first verse very steadily.

The second verse gradually builds in emotion.

Then came the chorus.

Where does the letter on the wind drift to?

Her voice trembled slightly.

It was so soft, you could barely hear it.

But she knew it herself.

For a moment, her heart sank a little.

She steadied her breath and continued singing.

The song is well-made overall, and the emotional expression is also quite good.

But that tiny flaw, like a thorn, stuck in her heart.

The song ended.

applause.

Xia Die bowed and walked off the stage.

Her expression appeared calm, but only she knew how frustrated she was.

I practiced it so many times.

They were so well prepared.

Why did it have to happen during the chorus?

She walked back to the rest area.

As she passed that corner, her pace unconsciously slowed down.

She looked at Chen Ming.

The boy in the white shirt was leaning back in his chair, the book in his hand already closed.

It's almost Chen Ming's turn.

His gaze fell upon her, as calm as a deep pool of water.

Xia Die didn't know why she wanted to see him.

Perhaps it's because he is Chen Ming.

Perhaps it was because she wanted to see some kind of evaluation in those eyes.

Even just a glance.

Chen Ming looked at her and suddenly smiled.

The smile was faint, but it inexplicably made people feel at ease.

"Senior," he said, his voice low but clear enough to reach her ears, "you sang really well."

Xia Die was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously wanted to say thank you.

But Chen Ming spoke again: "However..."

Xia Die's heart leaped into her throat.

Chen Ming looked at her, a hint of seriousness in his eyes:

"The senior's vocal placement is a little too far back, especially in the chorus. When the breath goes up, her throat tightens involuntarily."

Every word Chen Ming spoke felt like a needle piercing Xia Die's ears.

Vocal placement? Is the throat constricted?

She stared at him blankly.

Chen Ming continued, "If you try to move your vocal point forward a little and concentrate it on your hard palate, the chorus line 'Where are you drifting to' might be clearer. You won't need to use so much force, and it will actually be more stable."

After he finished speaking, he stood up.

I put the book in my bag and patted my clothes.

Xia Die stood there, her mind blank.

Chen Ming had already started walking towards the stage entrance.

He took two steps, then turned back and smiled at her: "Senior, you can give it a try."

Then he continued walking forward.

Sunlight streamed in obliquely from the doorway, falling on his silhouette.

All that remained was a slender silhouette of Xia Die.

Xia Die stared blankly at that back, Chen Ming's words echoing repeatedly in her mind.

Shift the vocalization position forward...

Concentrated on the hard palate...

No need to use so much force...